New Caledonia

updated Mon. March 19, 2018

New Caledonia's Congress is today expected to approve the date for the territory's independence referendum under the Noumea Accord. The New Caledonia congress. Photo: AFP. There were 10 selected top political leaders who had agreed in French-sponsored talks last month to hold the vote on 4thÃÂ ...

The authorities in New Caledonia say debris from the stricken container ship Kea Trader has been washed ashore. The vessel ran onto the Durand Reef in July and despite salvage efforts, it broke in two. Cyclone Hola further damaged the wreck and now debris has reached Mare which is almost 100ÃÂ ...

The latest dengue outbreak in New Caledonia has claimed its first life, a 74-year-old woman from near Noumea who died after being admitted to hospital on Tuesday. The Asian tiger mosquito is one of the vectors responsible for transmitting dengue fever. Photo: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY. The dengueÃÂ ...

The fact-finding mission is in the French territory as preparations continue for an independence referendum later this year. Last year, a UN team visited New Caledonia to observe the special French-led commissions, which update the roll of those allowed to vote in the plebiscite. At the last meeting of theÃÂ ...

Sensitivities have heightened as New Caledonia prepares in earnest for an independence referendum by November. Despite pro-France pressure, Emmanuel Macron's government has now stated categorically that it won't take sides. The mainstream independence group has sent a warning of its own.

A former senior police officer in New Caledonia has been given a three-year jail sentence for assaulting a handcuffed suspect. Noumea municipal police facade Photo: RNZ. Two of the three years are suspended. The criminal court also found him guilty of forging the incident report. The NouvellesÃÂ ...

Arson is the suspected cause of the blaze at the school in Bourail which has had four fires in the past five years. 365 students are affected by the latest fire as the premises can't be used until further notice. The start of the school year has been marred in various provincial locations because of lawlessness.

A leading anti-independence party in New Caledonia has called for the Congress to set the date and formulate the question for this year's independence referendum. The Caledonia Together Party said this should be done before the signatories to the Noumea Accord meet in Paris in late March. A leadingÃÂ ...

The Congress of New Caledonia has decided to tighten drink drive laws as part of efforts to improve road safety. no caption. Photo: 123 RF. For drivers ... Ninety percent of fatal road accident in New Caledonia involve drink drivers, many of whom not wearing seatbelts. Per capita, New Caledonia has a roadÃÂ ...

The news site Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes said the incident occurred near St Louis in the middle of the afternoon yesterday. Nobody was injured and there have been no arrests. This comes just two days after the jailing of seven men for firing at police officers along the same stretch of road in 2016.

One senator Bruno Retailleau said he was he was certain New Caledonia will stay with France and it was up to the French state to prepare for the day after the vote. Another senator Gerard Poadja said the new law contributes to a Caledonian identity. The law change is due to be debated in the NationalÃÂ ...

A French parliamentary team is today beginning a week-long mission to New Caledonia to gather information about the independence referendum later this year. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls Photo: AFP. The team, which is led by a former Socialist primeÃÂ ...

An investigation has been opened in New Caledonia into claims that one of the top beer distributors is supplying the black market. beer lineup. Photo: Quinn ... New Caledonia has severely curbed the hours when alcohol can be sold as part of efforts to reduce consumption. Le Froid has not denied theÃÂ ...

The action by 850 teachers has been taken in a bid to alter their employment terms. The teachers want to be recognised and remunerated according to the provisions for all French public servants. New Caledonia's government is backing the teachers' demands. However, it asked them to hold off with theirÃÂ ...

They heeded a call by the government to return to work while their grievances are being dealt with in Paris. The action by 850 teachers had been taken because they want to be recognised and remunerated according to the provisions for all French public servants. New Caledonia's government is backingÃÂ ...

The French prime minister says New Caledonia's independence referendum is a challenge which is not without risk. France's newly appointed Prime ... Therefore, he said, it is urgent to be reminded of what unites New Caledonia and to protect what has been achieved. Several assembly members haveÃÂ ...

Mr Temaru said he plans to go to New Caledonia in September or October to encourage French Polynesians living there to help Kanaks win their independence. The vote is expected to be held in early November. New Caledonia has been on the UN decolonisation list since 1986 and French PolynesiaÃÂ ...

Pro-independence politicians in New Caledonia are upset at comments by a visiting former French prime minister Manuel Valls who said he was in favour of the territory remaining French. Mr Valls, who is in Noumea as the head of a French National Assembly delegation, was speaking at a public debate asÃÂ ...

A teacher in New Caledonia has been assaulted in class at a vocational school in the territory's north. A student whose age has not been disclosed broke the man's nose when he punched and kicked him. He will be off work while the student is to face disciplinary measures. The attack in Touho occurredÃÂ ...

The government said there was a significant rise in the number of infections this year. It said about 100 cases of type 2 dengue have been diagnosed since the beginning of the year, suggesting that the people are to immune the virus. The government said the disease had been found mainly in NoumeaÃÂ ...

He said it was not expected to make direct landfall on New Caledonia but will be very close and affect their waters and southeastern islands with gale force winds. He said Gita was expected to be closest to New Caledonia tomorrow afternoon. The cyclone is also forecast to pass to the south of Vanuatu,ÃÂ ...

The category four storm is tracking toward the south of New Caledonia and is forecast to weaken to category three as it approaches the French territory. A local journalist Gilles Caprais said the pre-alert indicates people should not plan any outside activities and should start securing their house, water andÃÂ ...

If you're looking forward to a new firehall in Caledonia, there's good news: you're going to be getting it sooner than expected. At the 2018 Draft tax Supported capital Budget and Forecast meeting, construction on the New Caledonia fire hall was moved from its originally scheduled date of 2022 to 2021.

Operator Arnaud, JG1XMV, will once again be active as FK/JG1XMV from Grande Terre (OC-032) between February 17th and March 3rd. During this time he will be joined by Yves FK4RD and the two operators will active two other islands [Lifou (OC-033) and Mare (OC-033)] as FK/JG1XMV. Exact scheduleÃÂ ...

The change is aimed at accommodating last year's political agreement between New Caledonia's pro and anti-independence camps which determines the restricted roll for this year's independence referendum. The new law will allow for the enrolment of an additional 11,000 people, including IndigenousÃÂ ...

They agreed to add another 11,000 names to the roll by including 7,000 Indigenous Kanaks and 4,000 others born in New Caledonia. The group however said it wanted the exact number of Kanaks. While the French state has said 12,000 people have no address and can therefore not be included in anyÃÂ ...

The new law will allow for the enrollment of an additional 11,000 people, including Indigenous Kanaks and others who were born in New Caledonia but had not been registered. The bill is first up for debate in the Senate next week. Mr Valls has welcomed his appointment as it follows his earlier selection asÃÂ ...

Air Caledonie International, or Aircalin, is hoping its first charter flight between the Chinese city of Hangzhou and Noumea will be the start of a regular service and help to boost the number of Chinese tourists to the territory. 260 tourists will board the flight in the south eastern Chinese city on February 17,ÃÂ ...

The authorities in New Caledonia's northern province are alarmed at the vandalism directed towards health professionals and pharmacies. Canala New Caledonia Photo: AFP. The provincial assembly has issued a statement, saying there is a risk of disastrous consequences if medical staff can no longerÃÂ ...

A team of four elite weightlifters and national coach Joe Vueti have left for New Caledonia to attend a week-long training camp in Noumea. The four Athletes are Apolonia Vaivai, Manueli Tulo, Poama Qaqa and Taniela Rainibogi will be training with Eileen Cikamatana at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute inÃÂ ...

New Caledonia's pro-independence FLNKS movement says it wants to close its ranks at the weekend Congress preparing the independence referendum later this year. The FLNKS flag. Photo: RNZI/ Johnny Blades. The FLNKS has been without a president since 2001 because of divisions among theÃÂ ...

The low pressure system however continues to bring bad weather to parts of Melanesia with heavy rain still affecting parts of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia. Regional disaster authorities have been urging people to take heed of weather warnings and make sure they have all theÃÂ ...

... 11,000 voters - most of whom are Indigenous Kanaks. New Caledonia's two Assembly members, who are leading politicians of the anti-independence camp, have also called for a dialogue, saying New Caledonians want to retain the energy of those who signed the Accord in order to maintain the peace.

Mr Gomes said the French justice minister had, meanwhile, confirmed that an audit of New Caledonia's Camp-Est jail will be carried out in the first half of this year. He said this followed repeated calls by his party for Paris to look into the difficulties of running the prison. The jail is one of the most crowded runÃÂ ...

According to the New Zealand Met Service, Fehi is moving in a south-southeast direction and is expected to pass to the west of New Caledonia. It is currently a category one cyclone, according to the Service, is not expected to intensify. New Caledonia's met service describes the system as a weak low.

New Caledonia Upon surveying the terrain, I have to say that it was one of kind and very harsh. There were huge coral heads and massive drop offs that started at 5 meters and dropped down to 75 meters within a 15 meters span of reef. It made this place an ideal spot to target dogtooth tuna and was a trulyÃÂ ...

Tuition fees for College of New Caledonia (CNC) students will increase by two per cent for the 2018-19 school year. The move, approved by the college board of directors at its Nov. 24 board meeting, is drawing criticism from the Faculty Association (FA) of CNC. FA president Bill Deutch is calling on theÃÂ ...

The public prosecutor in New Caledonia has given details about a shooting incident after motorists near St Louis heard gunfire. In a statement, he said armed police entered St Louis in a bid to recapture a fugitive Samuel Moekia who had been on the run since 2015. It said when they approached hisÃÂ ...

New Caledonia's Congress has approved the budget for 2018 after last year's political crisis prevented the territory from approving it on time. It was endorsed by the main anti-independence coalition and a pro-independence grouping. The New Caledonia congress. Photo: AFP. The anti-independenceÃÂ ...

The union said the company was already one of the biggest tax payers and a main investor benefitting all of New Caledonia. After pitching in millions into the budget in the past two years, the union said the OPT's ability to sustain itself was again being diminished. The budget was due to be adopted lastÃÂ ...

The Noumea Accords, in turn, prepared for the progressive transfer of certain powers of self-determination to the locally elected government of New Caledonia. France kept the five sovereign powers (defence, foreign affairs, currency, justice, and public order) until 2018, and the organisation of a referendumÃÂ ...

The law will translate the political accord reached by the signatories to the Noumea Accord late last year which clears the way to enrolling all people born in New Caledonia if they have lived there for the past three years. The deal also provides for the automatic enrollment of an additional 7000 IndigenousÃÂ ...

firefighters in New Caledonia are trying to establish what caused the huge bushfires which have ravaged the south of the main island. firefighter with hose. Photo: 123RF. A total of three fires erupted south of Noumea, with one near Mont-Dore destroying about 700 hectares of vegetation. The fires' intensityÃÂ ...

New Caledonia's mining industry has appealed to all institutions to help restore a safe working environment. Three nickel mines hit by strike in New Caledonia. Photo: AFP PHOTO MARC LECHELARD. The Union of Mining Industries issued a statement in response to a recent spate of vandalism at theÃÂ ...

To restore the EU's green card, the minister said Vietnam was adjusting policies while seeking co-operation with countries, such as Australia and The Philippines. In relation to New Caledonia, Mr Vu said he would like to reach a co-operation accord in aquaculture, which is a strong sector in Vietnam.

There has been a fresh spate of vandalism at a New Caledonian mine site on the east coast of the main island. Nickel mine in New Caledonia Photo: AFP. Five cars have been burned at the base of the Ballande mine in Nakety, triggering a shutdown of operations. The perpetrators also damaged miningÃÂ ...

The criminal court in New Caledonia has sentenced a 20-year-old man to two years in prison for firing a gun at a police vehicle. Noumea municipal police facade Photo: RNZ. The incident dates back to the beginning of November when a police patrol was following a car near La Foa. At the time the manÃÂ ...

New Caledonia's government has drawn up a budget for 2018 after last year's political crisis prevented the territory from approving it on time. The document was to be adopted before the start of this year, but New Caledonia had no properly constituted government from August to December. Since the newÃÂ ...

New Caledonia's SLN nickel company has condemned the vandalism and destruction at its facilities in Thio over the holiday season. SLN, which is the territory's leading private sector employer, said in an internal report that about ten cars were stolen and torched by what it called a gang of thugs. It also saidÃÂ ...